The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-03-11
REV, HENRY WARD BEEOHER DEAD.

In the fiftieth year of his ministry, IN
the fortieth year Of his Brooklyn pas
torate, in the year when he would
have celebrated his golden wedding
He was taken sick on Friday with
what seemed to be bilious attack, ac
companied with some headache. Or
Saturday paralysis was manifested and
his entire left side lost all motion and
sensation. He gradually grew weaker
and weaker, sinking steadily until 9:3C
Tuesday morning, the end was
reached, and the lips of the great pulpit
orator was closed forever.
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher was
born at Litchfeld, Conn, June "a
1918. He graduated at Amherst col
lege in 1884, and studied theology al
Lake seminary In 1887 he became
pastor of a Presbyterian church in
Lawrenceburg, and in 1889, at indian
apolis, Ind. In ls47 he received a
call from the Plymouth church, new
congregationalist church in Brooklyn,
n. Y. Here almost from the outset
he began to acquire that reputation as
a pulpit orator which has been main
tanned and increased during quarter
of a century. The church and con-
gregation under his charge are proba-
bly, the largest in America He has
always discarded the conventionalities
of the clerical profession. In his view
humor has a place in his sermon as
well as argument and eYhortation. He
is fond of illustration, drawing his
material from every sphere of human
life and thought, and his manner is
highly dramatic. Though his keen
sense of humor continually manifests
itself, the prevailing impression given
by his discourse is one of intense earn
estness. The cardinal idea of his
creed is that Christianity is not series
of philosophical or metaphysical dog
mas, but rule of life in every phase.
Hence he has never hesitated to discuss
from the pulpit the great social and
political questions of the day, such as
slavery, intemperance, RIGHTEOUSNESS,
the lust for power and the greed for
gain. He is an enthusiast in music,
a connoisseur in art, lover of flowers
and animals. Apart from his purely
professional labors, he is popular lec-
turer in lyceums and orator at public
meetings.
Before beginning to preach he ed
tied for year 1880 a newspaper,the
Cincinnati Journal, and while pastor
at Indianapolis, an agricultural journal,
his contributions to which were after
ward published under the title, "Fruits,
Flowers and Farming" For nearly
twenty years he was an editorial con-
tributor to the Independent, a weekly
journal published in New York, and
from 1861 to 1868 its editor; his con-
tributions to this were signed with :,
and many of them were collected and
published as "The Star Papers" Since
1870 he has been editor of the Christ
ian Union, weekly newspaper pub
lished in New York. His sermons and
writings have had wide circulation
in newspapers, periodicals and in book
form. Besides the well-known volumes
of his sermons, he has published "Lec.
lures to Young Mem" Industry and
Idleness;" Life Thoughts" two series
edited by Edna Dean Proctor and Au-
gusta Moore; "Sermons on Liberty and
War;" "The Plymouth Collections of
Hymns and Tunes" Norwood a
novel, originally published in the New
York Ledger, to which he was con-
stant contributor; "Sermons from Pub
lished and Unpublished Discourses;'
Life of Christ" and "Yale Lectures
on Preaching In 1868 he visited
Great Britain, with special view to
disabuse the public in regard 10 the
issues in our late civil war. His
speeches exerted a wide influence in
changing public sentiment, which had
been strongly in favor of Southern
confederacy. They were published in
London, but have not been reprinted
in America.
Intense interest was shown when, in
1875, he was tried for alternating the
affections of the wife of Theodore
Tilton. The jury were unable to
agree on verdict; the majority inclin-
ing to acquit him. Since then his in
tluence can hardly be said to have suf-
fered, and the fidelity of his congre-
CATION is unshaken.
Although in receipt of an income
probably as large as that of the presi-
dent of the United States, Mr.. Beecher
is not rich man. His charity, which
is always inclined to be on the quiet, is
well known. His main possessions
consist of his valuable library and an
excellent farm at Peekshill, N. Y.
His wife, charming old lady, exerts
no small influence in her large circle
of admiring trierds. His sons seem tc
have Inherited their fathers good quail
ties, but have chosen mercantile life in
which TO achieye their success.
The funeral services were held yes
terday Thursday morning at hall
past nine o'clock, after which the re-
mains were kept in the church through
out the day and until this Friday,
morning so that all friends might take
last look at their great pastor
He was buried in plain red cedar
casket with the simple inscription,
"Henry Ward Beecher, born June "a
1918, died March Sth 1887"